Self-aligning stool



Oct. 15, 1940. J CARLSQN 2,217,943

SELF-ALIGNING STOOL Filed Aug. 3., 1938 INVENTOR. AXfA J CARLSO/V @s BY m. QMw:

/ A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 15, 1940 E 1 SEItF-ALI GNING s'rooL I I l l cl J. Carlson, Loshngelesgcalif. 1

- pp aflqnAugust 3,

are mounted to revolve 'onfa vertical axis supported by a pedestal. It is desirable that-when these stools are not being occupiedthat they should be arranged so that all or the unoccupied stools face in one particular direction, thus giving the counter a more-neat and-tidy appearance and at the same time maintaining'the stools so that customers may more easily adjust themselves in a seating position upon them.;

It is the principal object of thepresent invention, therefore,- to provide 'a' revolving stool of the pedestal type, which is s'irriple in construction, inexpensive as: to -m'anufact'uring cost and which embodies a self-aligning? feature permitting the stool to automatically' 'come toa predetermined'position of rest when notoccupied for the purposes herein specified.. 1 v

The present invention'contemplates' theprovision of a stool structure including a base; a pedestal thereupon and a stool 'r'otatably supported at the top of the pedestal,-there being cooperating means between the stool 'and fthe pedestal whereby the stool will rotate and come to rest at a predetermined position with" relation to the pedestal. l I

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawingg inwhich:

Figure 1 is a View in vertical section an'dfl si'de elevation showing the details of construction of the stool of which the present inventionascencerned. Fig. 2 is a view in plan showing the aligning disc with the stool "removed to disclose-the features ofits construction.- Fig. 3 is a view in plan showing the spiderof the stool with the stool rotated'from' its aligned position. f f

Fig. 4 is a view as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

and discloses the gravity aligning elements.

Fig. 5 is a view in plan'showing the under face The central cylindrical cylindrical standard l2. 7 adjusted for height by adjusting it within the base element H. -Mounted 'upon the upper end of the standard 12 and threaded thereto'isya flange disc Hiwhich extends horizontallyan'd is formed. with bolt holes l4 to receive bolts I5 The upperfaceof the-disc -l3.is flat and pro: vides a bearingfsurface upon which a' bearingelement I6 rests- Thisbearingf'elemerit is-formed with slotted openingsflll to receive'the upper ends of the bolts I5 and to permit-the bearing element to bero-tatablyadjustd with relatio n'tolthe disc i3. Nuts [8 are carried on the upper ends of the bolts andwhen-tightened will lock the bearing element I6 and the disc l3 with relation to each other in a desired position of rotational adjustment. I

The bearing element 16 includes an upper disc portionlB and a tubular bearing portion 20; The

tubular bearing p'ortion20 ishere shown as extending downwardly into the standard I2: Y'This bearing portion is formed with a central boreZ lwhich receives the pivot pin 22- formedintegral with a stool spider '23. The spider; as'shown'in Fig. 3, is formed with three arms 24 and'has a central substantially-disc-shaped portion' 25 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Mounted upon the spider isthe seat 26 of a stool, to which seat a back?! may be securedif desired.

The pivot pin 22 extends downwardly within the bore 2| of the tubular bearing 20 and is free to rotate Within this bearing as well'as to recipro- 'cate vertically. An annular groove 28 is formed around the circumference of'the pin 22 and re ceives a-stop'screw 29 which is threaded through the wall of the tubular bearing 20 and prevents This standard may be accidental removalof the pin 22' from its bearing whilepermitting thepivot'pin 22 tohave a de-- sired'amount of longitudinal movement. f The'disc'portionfjlfi of the upper bearing element is shown in 'planin Fig. 2 of the drawing. Here it will be seen that thejopening 1 1 for the bolts l5 areslotted and that they are concentric with the axisfof'the disc; The [main portion of the disc is provided with an upwardly extending marginal flange 30 which circumscribes acircular face 3|; Projecting from this'face is a segmental stop-lug 3| andan arcuate. ball groove 32. This ball groove .issli'own inFig. 4 of the dr'awing'as formed with a Vfshapedfioojr having oppositely and upwardlytapering" faces 33 and 34, "along which an aligning ball 35 may roll, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The central circular portion of the spider 25 is formed. with an annular flange 36 which flts into the space circumscribed by the annular flange 30 on the bearing element, thus making a substantially tight seal between the two parts and preventing the leakage of oil from around the moving parts of the device.

An arcuate pocket 37 is formed in the under face of the portion 25 of the spider, and as indicated particularly by dotted lines in Fig. 3, radial stop faces 38 and 39 occur at the opposite ends of this pocket. The stop lug 3| of the bearing element projects into this and limits rotation of the spider structure 23 in either direction. Upon the diametrically opposite side of the disc portion of the spider 25 from the pocket 3'! there is an arcuate groove 40 corresponding with the groove 32, previously described as providing a seat for the aligning ball 35. The groove 43 isnormally disposed over and in register with the groove 32 and is formed with opposite inclined faces as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to give the structure a sightly appearance a base canopy 43 is fittedover and threaded onto the standard l2. Tubular members 44 may be mounted on the standard and trimming discs 45 may be interposed between sections of these elements. a

In operation of the present. invention the structure is assembledas hereshown. The bearing element I6 is rotated with relation to the disc I3 so that when the ball 35 has centered the spider 23 in a desired position the bolts 15 may then be tightened to hold .the structure as thus set. It may also be desirable to adjust the standard 12 with relation to the base element so that the standard may support the stool at a proper height. V J

When the stool spider 23 is rotated in either di rection from its aligned position, which position is shown in Fig. 4, there will be a tendency for the aligning ball 35 to be-wedged between the inclined faces of the grooves 32 and 40, thus the spider 23 and its pivot, pin 22 will be bodily lifted with relation to the bearing element I6. This lifting and rotating action will continue until the stop 3i has been engaged by face 33 or 39 of the spider, at which time rotation will beinterrupted and the ball 35 will be at one endv of the grooves. When the stool is then released the weight of the stool on its free pivot 22 will tend to force the inclined faces of the grooves'32 and 45 in a direction to restore them to the position shown in Fig. 4, and to restore the aligning ball 35 to its central aligned position. Thus it will be seen that while the stool was free to rotate when 4| and 42,

- moved that it will automatically rotate on its support to be restored to its original set and aligned position. It will also be noted that due to this arrangement the stool will be supported upon an anti-friction bearing provided by the aligning ball 35 and that if desired additional sets of inclined grooves and aligning balls may be provided to support the stool at more than one point. Attention is directed to the fact that the stool spider is returned to its predetermined aligned position solelyby gravity and that o other means is employed,

It will thus be seen that the invention here disclosed provides a simple and inexpensive stool which may be readily assembled and. adjusted, and that it also embodies the use of simple means not liable to get out of order and by the action of which the stool may be restored to a definite position of alignment.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that Various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stool or the like comprising a pedestal, a flange disc mounted upon the upper end of said pedestal, a bearing element mounted upon the upper flat surface of said flange disc, a plurality of slotted openings formed through the bearing element, bolts positioned through the flange disc and the slotted openings of said bearing element to hold said element and disc in assembled relation, said bearing element having a central bore therein, a seat carrying a spider on the under surface thereof, said spider having a downwardly projecting pin adapted for positioning within the central bore of the bearing element, the central portion of said spider circumscribing the pin and having an arcuate pocket formed in the face thereof, said pocket accommodating a lug formed on the upper surface of said bearing element, said lug and pocket limiting rotational movement of said seat upon the pedestal, an arcuate groove formed on the face of the central portion of said spider and having oppositely and downwardly tapering faces corresponding to an arcuate groove having oppositely and upwardly tapered faces formed in the upper face of the bearing element diametrically opposite the lug, a ball positioned within said arcuategrooves, said ball means acting with the tapered arcuate grooves to maintain the seat in a centered position.

2. A stool or the like comprising a pedestal, a flange disc mounted upon the upper end of said pedestal, a bearing elementmounted upon the upper flat surface of said flange disc, a plurality of slotted openings formed through the bearing element, bolts positioned through the flange disc and the slotted openings of said bearing element to hold said element and disc in assembled relation, said bearing element having a central bore therein, a seat carrying a spider on the under surface thereof, said spider having a downwardly projecting pin adapted for positioning within the central bore of the bearing element, the central portion of said spider circumscribing the pin and having an arcuate pocket formed in the face thereof, said pocket accommodating a lug formed on the upper surface of said bearing element, said 4 lug and pocket limiting rotational movement of said seat upon the pedestal, an arcuate groove formed on the face of the central portion of said spider and having oppositely and downwardly tapering faces corresponding to an arcuate groove having oppositely and upwardly tapered faces formed in the upper face of the bearing element diametrically opposite the lug, a ball positioned within said arcuate grooves, said ball means acting with the tapered arcuate grooves to maintain the seat in a centered position, and means associated with the spider pin and the central bore of the bearing element for limiting longitudinal movement of the spider with relation to the pedestal as the stool is rotated.

AXEL J. CARLSON. 

